New Dental Registration Plan Against Patients' Interests, Say Dentists

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 09 Oct 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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Plans to change NHS dental registration in Scotland could harm patient care, according to a survey of high street dentists. Dentists are worried that proposals to introduce continuous registration, a scheme which would sweep away the need for patients to visit their dentist in order to remain registered with them, sends the wrong message about the value of regular check-ups.

In a survey of general dental practitioners from across Scotland, 87 per cent of respondents said they were opposed to the introduction of continuous registration. Concerns articulated by respondents include it undermining the importance of regular check-ups, failing to promote a strong dentist-patient relationship, and increasing the chances of serious conditions such as mouth cancer going undetected.

Concerns were also expressed about the strain on NHS services that would be caused by patients who chose to attend less regularly. Irregular attendance often results in more complex and time-consuming treatment being required. Catering for a greater number of emergency appointments would also increase waiting times for patients attending regular appointments.

Colin Crawford, Chair of the BDA's Scottish Dental Practice Committee, said:

"This survey is an overwhelming vote of no confidence in the proposed change to continuous registration. The profession has worked hard to improve Scotland's unenviable oral health record by promoting the value of preventive dental care. The proposed change threatens to undermine that work.

"Continuous registration may be politically expedient - it will create an illusion of growing numbers of patients accessing dentistry - but it doesn't genuinely improve patient care. We urge the Scottish Government to think again on this plan. Massaging figures isn't the way to improve the oral health of Scotland; ensuring there are adequate numbers of dentists, encouraging patients to visit them regularly and working with the profession is."

The BDA has communicated the results of the survey, and reiterated its concerns about continuous registration, in a letter to the Scottish Government.

Under the current arrangements, patients who attend at the interval agreed with their dentist maintain their registered status, effectively enjoying open-ended registration anyway.

Notes

1. The survey of general dental practitioners across Scotland took place over a four-week period in August and September 2009. One-thousand, one-hundred and two dentists responded, approximately 49 per cent of those questioned.

2. The registration period (the time period within which a patient must visit their dentist if they are not to lose their registered status at a given surgery) was extended from three years to four years from 1 April 2009. This was agreed as an interim arrangement to allow consultation on continuous registration.

3. In England, the interval between dental recalls for patients is the subject of guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. The recommended interval between appointments for adult patients is between three and 24 months; for children it is between three and 12 months.

4. Mouth cancer is an increasingly prevalent disease, the main risk factors for which are tobacco use (either by smoking or chewing tobacco products) and heavy alcohol consumption. Five thousand people in the UK are diagnosed with mouth cancer every year. Two thousand people in die from mouth cancer every year. Early detection increases the chances of survival to more than 90 per cent. November is Mouth Cancer Action Month. Visit http://www.mouthcancer.org/ for details.

Source
British Dental Association (BDA)